NVR ment 2 B mun
by zIzI luna
Summary: ch.6 what do i do now? how do i turn back now? i don't wanna see him anymore. i just wanna run away from it all--usagi
1. Quitting

Never Meant to be Moon by zizi luna pg-13  
  
note: read, review, and read some more. That's all I ask.  
  
****important***** To save readers from confusion about setting and season, pay close attention: Set partly in first season with only Diamond from the other season. Present time. Usagi is still in school.  
  
Chapter 1:Quitting  
  
It all felt like some long dull dream. The quiet chitchat was rather uncomfortable for I could feel tension growing steadily under their breaths. In addition, Diamond's hand rested on my bare shoulder still and I resisted the temptation to peel it away.  
  
They talked forever about frivolous things then about art. Diamond hugged my shoulders and I smiled smacking myself in my head at this act of hypocricy.  
  
The show must go on, right? This party, these fancy drapes, and hundred-dollar cocktails; this waxed marble floor, these people wearing silk and jewelry mounting a country's worth. All these random elements pieced together the jigsaw of fine people....high class. I belonged nowhere in this jigsaw. Odd piece out. But the show, the facade I must continue for  
  
Diamond's sake.  
  
I much less wanted to gag. Gag at what I have become. Gag at the super- ficiality that surrounded me like heavy cigarette smoke. And at. . .  
  
What is done, is done, so just look ahead, I thought in remembrance of my mother's wise words.  
  
Forever it seemed till the moment that Diamond drove me home and led me safely at the footsteps of my home. I bid him good night and waited not a response from his curved lips.  
  
Trembling, I leaned back against the closed door. I sighed with relief. At least I didn't need to see him until next Saturday, I thought. Diamond's negotiations are rather annoying and boring but tonight, it had been thoroughly irritating because of the fact that I was asked to do another job which conflicted with Diamond's.  
  
I climbed up the stairs with a lighter heart and sat on the bed yawning. I threw my high heels across the room and laid back before I heard a soft meow from  
  
the window.  
  
"Where have you been lurking on this starry night?" Luna asked softly as she transformed back into a human..  
  
"Don't get all poetic on me," I replied immediately. " Anyways, I don't need to inform you of where I go as long as I help you with that mission that I consider stupid. That last crystal wasn't *the* one and we have searched so many places working our butts off. You haven't even told me what it's for."  
  
Luna didn't know that I worked for Diamond Shard, owner of the Zlon Jewelry Company and that I had worked double shift, one for free and the other for profit scanning the entire jewelry exhibition for Luna's stupid crystal.  
  
Luna gazed at me gravely with her dark ruby eyes somewhat flaring in the darkness. " If you consider this mission 'stupid' as I dare say, then, why do you follow?"  
  
I felt another argument brewing. By now, there had been so many that I no longer cared to count them. "I never followed. *You* were the one who followed me around with, uh, Rayne and what's-her-face always begging me to come along and me, feeling bad for you three, I helped you a bit."  
  
Luna was about as fed up with my attitude, past lies, and secrecies. She put her hands up in the air in defeat, and pulled out her suitcase. "Fine, if you're so reluctant in helping, then leave us be. You can keep the locket if you want. Do whatever you want, I don't care anymore."  
  
Luna laid it out so simply for me. All this time I deemed it difficult to give it up and now here I was, at the brink of throwing away this life forever.  
  
"Sure, okay. I quit then. I quit. I think that'll be the best for all of us," I stated.  
  
Her eyes were still boring into mine and her face set in stone. And then she disappeared. Like mist dissipating after dawn, she had vanished and I somehow felt empty and somewhat guilty. Maybe it was the way I forced it into her that made Luna angry. Or was it because I was finally quitting and she wanted me to be part of little scout group.  
  
But there's something she doesn't know and that is that I am not what I appear to be. I'm not for justice. I'm *against* it. That is why I didn't want to join in the first place. I promoted the evil in the world.  
  
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	2. Strange is my life

note:Confusion should be normal. Most clears up now. Luna's about 20, Mamoru 17, last year in high school. r&r  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
NVR ment 2 B mun by zizi luna  
  
Chapter 2: Strange is my life  
  
On this day four months ago, I had received this locket. Luna had bumped into me, followed me around for a while, and then proposed the idea of being a super hero. I laughed thinking she was some psycho but I accepted her gift anyway. That gift had been this same locket.  
  
From that day, count two years back about the time my mother died and my dad lost his job as an engineer. I had been moping around looking for a job myself, confident that I wasn't going to find one. The economy was really bad and my reputation of being lazy followed me around everywhere. Then I stumbled across Zlon's Jewelry Corp office building and went in to cool down. I only asked for a job because the receptionist kept on staring at me, I guess looking for a chance to kick me out of that fancy ass building.  
  
But he wasn't the receptionist. It was Diamond Shard himself.  
  
Somehow, I ended up Diamond's right hand assistant from one day to the next and there I am doing his dirty work and entertaining his clients. There's no pressure, really, it doesn't bother me. It's just that now Diamond gives me extra work and even though he pays me bonuses, I..... I don't know. I feel rather.....dirty.  
  
My life's twisted, alright. Luna wants crystal and Luna will get crystal. As I said before, I never knew what it was for but I helped out just to amuse myself at first. Then it complicates and suddenly, I'm in a mini skirt in freezing weather and jumping across rooftops. Almost like my job at Zlon's Jewelry.  
  
Well, anyway, it didn't matter. I no longer had to deal with Luna and her bossiness and I received my paycheck without the guilt.  
  
But I sort of missed her and looking at the locket when I was walking one day to school, I was reminded of her and the two other scout girls --Reina and Amelia, I think their names were. But I wasn't watching where I was going, as usual, and bumped into a guy with jet black hair and wearing a tuxedo and sunglasses. My locket fell rolling his way and he picked it up.  
  
"Divided loyalties, eh?" he said dusting off his pants. "Not an easy thing to cope with." He started walking away but his statement striked me so true that I couldn't help but yell out a smart comment to get him to look back. "What do you know? I don't even know you."  
  
He stopped halfstep but didn't turn around. "I'm not so sure, Usagi, I think I might have met you before."  
  
He began walking away again and I just looked dumbfounded for a minute or two until he disappeared around the corner. The school bell rung; I didn't move. Something about him *was* familiar. The second bell rung and I gripped my school bag so tight my knuckles were white. Then it dawned on me. He still had my locket!  
  
"Hey, sir! Mister!" I yelled as I ran around the corner. I shoved people out of the way, ignoring the angry individuals I encountered because I saw him, only just a little bit through the densing crowd --he was so tall--, walking in his black tuxedo in clear daylight, with no effort at all and me --small petite me-- struggled against the ongoing traffic getting my hair pulled and getting screamed at for pushing people to the ground.  
  
Then he disappeared around the corner again.  
  
My heart racing, I made the extra effort of getting through, my determination increasing because that was my gift, my gift and no tuxedo mystery man was taking that away from me. Just as I thought this, I bumped into someone's chest, his chest and I smelled the wiff of elegance, of class.  
  
"I thought you had to better things to do," he said. "Like going to school."  
  
"Well--"  
  
"--Would you like a cup of coffee? Might need it so you won't fall asleep in class. Must have slept late, huh?" The guy bought me a cup of coffee right there, in the small corner shop we were standing next to. He bought one for himself too and sat down in in the nearest table placed outside the coffee shop. "Sit."  
  
I didn't sit down or take the cup in his hand.  
  
He laughed and put the cup on the table. "It's not poisoned, you just saw me brought it from that man. Sit, sit."  
  
I sat down but didn't sip from my cup.  
  
"Do you want to tell me something?"  
  
"Yeah, I believe you took my locket when we--"  
  
The town clock started ringing and drowned out the rest of my sentence. Before I could repeat it, the guy stood up smoothing out his fine tuxedo and bade me farewell. "I must go.Late for my appointment. Don't you have the math or english test you gotta take anyway?"  
  
"I know but--"  
  
"It was nice to see you again and wish to see you more often around here," he said delicately shaking my hand. Then he drew me closer into a kiss on the lips, the taste of coffee evident and the perfection of it landing me in stupor that I did not easily recover.  
  
After that tender rather spontaneous moment, he kissed my cheek and patted my head wishing me good luck at school, as if nothing happened. I stood there, watching him leave, hands shoved in his pockets, his sunglasses now tucked into the inside of his jacket, and walking with such confidence that I was sure he wasn't aware that a normal person doesn't wear a tuxedo in broad daylight.  
  
**^*^*/  
  
"Give me the usual," I said as I sat gloomily in the Crown Arcade.  
  
Motoki didn't ask me anything, handing me the choco fudge milkshake, whipped cream toppinng, six different sprinkles coating the top. "Did you that there's this criminal in town?" asked Motoki.  
  
I nodded, scooping up the whipped cream and setting it on the counter to make a whipped snowman.  
  
"Well, the criminal's supposed to be huge, hacking into computers from major corporations and banks, stealing millions from them and screwing up their computer systems. I heard it's a bigger deal than the monsters going about, but I personally don't think so," Motoki said. "Hey, come to think of it, they showed a video clip of her and she sort of reminds me of you, you know, with you're blond hair and small figure."  
  
I laughed nervously. "Can you really picture me as a computer hacker, Motoki? I can't even turn my own computer on without frying it first."  
  
Motoki laughed about the time another customer came in and sat four seats from me, playing with something in his hand and wearing a black tuxedo. My body tensed and my mind locked into place not thinking either backwards, or forwards. I just wanted to hide for no good reason so I lifted up my black bag and set it on top of the counter to conceal my face until some comprehensible thought could come in mind. After five minutes of thinking, another customer came in wearing a sleek gray suit, silver hair streaking down to his shoulders. My heart skipped a beat. Diamond.  
  
As if to make matters worse, Luna came in, spotted me right away and sat down next to me. "Hello, Usagi."  
  
"Um, hello," I said softly watching Diamond talking to the tuxedo guy. They laughed at some private joke and Diamond sat down to order coffee.  
  
"Usagi, I've been thinking--"  
  
"--I'd prefer if you called me Suzuka for now," I said irritated that she had to repeat my name so many times.  
  
"Why do you want the name of a car?"  
  
"Can you just get on with it?" I asked.  
  
Luna called Motoki to order tea. "I'm not going to even ask why you have that ridiculous school bag on the counter because that's not why I came here for. I know that the argument three weeks ago was preposterous and we let our feelings get in the way and I really want you to stay, if that's at all possible for you but if you don't want to, I completely respect your decision to quit. What I want to say is that the locket can't stay with you if you're serious in quitting. I must have it back to give to someone else that can help with my mission. There's nothing against you at all. Strictly business."  
  
"Um, Luna?"  
  
"Hmmm?"  
  
"If I tell you something really bad that happened, will you freak out?"  
  
"Well, of course not," Luna said compassionately, "I'll listen to whatever you have to say."  
  
"I lost the locket."  
  
Luna's eyes widened and stood up from her chair at once, the chair toppling over in a loud crash. "You WHAT?"  
  
Just as I feared, Diamond and the guy looked our way in curiosity. I hardly paid attention because Luna was livid, her ruby eyes ablaze, but at the same time nervous, screaming out every possibility to as where the locket could have gone to. I looked at my milkshake in complete humiliation, hoping they didn't notice me behind Luna's dark blue hair. Unfortunately, they did.  
  
"Usagi, I didn't know you came here," Diamond said. "I thought you had school."  
  
"Ah, well, school was out early because of--"  
  
The two other scouts came in at that same time waving and smiling as if their was nothing better to do. "Usagi! I thought you'd be here!" The black haired one said.  
  
"Um, well--"  
  
"--Can't you believe the school gym caught fire?" the blue haired one said.  
  
I looked confused for a minute and laughed. " I know, right? That was pretty strange. Isn't it great to be out of school?"  
  
The two girls nodded in agreement finally noticing Diamond, the guy, and Luna who had pursed her lips once they had come over.  
  
"Now, aren't you going to introduce us?" the black haired girl asked scrutinizing Mamoru with a strange look in her eyes.  
  
I stood up, trying my hardest to be happy-go-lucky but feeling worse at each passing second. "Well, everyone, this is Diamond and this is--"  
  
"Rei--"  
  
"--Ami--"  
  
"--Luna."  
  
I looked over to the guy, not knowing what to say but he stood up and introduced himself as Chiba Mamoru. The memory of the kiss was so hot in my mind, after all only a few hours had passed since I had first met him. They excused themselves after that, having more important matters to talk about than hanging around high school girls, and I watched them leave, catching a rare glimpse of the locket being tossed up and down like a playing ball. I would have gone up there and demanded it back, I always did that sort of thing, but something held me back and this 'something' annoyed me like I never imagined it would.  
  
Luna's bad temper flared at their departure and she took this opportunity to scream at me at the top of her lungs criticizing my stupidity, my carelessness, my laziness, and most of all, my clumsiness. Rei and Ami watched, at lost to where Luna's temper had come from.  
  
"--There's no choice in the matter. You're stuck with us until that locket is returned in my hands!" Luna concluded.  
  
"WHAT?" Now it was my turn to be angry. "Why do I have to be involved in this? I already told you I quit and that is final --unless you don't know the meaning of that."  
  
Luna narrowed her eyes, pointing her slender finger at my nose. "Look, you little brat, it wasn't my fault that Artemis wanted *you* as a scout. Actually, I was completely against it and now look, you lost the freaking locket! I *knew* this was going to happen." Ami gasped. " Usagi. But how?"  
  
Rei smirked. "This is so like her. Luna's right, she isn't scout material."  
  
I stood up indignant at all three. "If that's how you all feel, then never contact me again 'cause I'm not helping. You can get the stupid locket yourselves."  
  
*^*^*/  
  
I walked into the arcade and found Mamoru sitting there with his cup of coffee. Anger boiled up inside of me because I blamed him for the horrid week I had just concluded. Sitting two seats from him, I ordered a coco choco milkshake, sipping with such force, I got a brainfreeze.  
  
Even after that argument about the locket a week ago, Luna still pestered me every chance she got trying to force me into looking for the locket. I knew where the locket was but refused to tell Luna, which angered her more. Most of the time, I saw her as a cat walking on the ledge of my classroom window or after school clawing my socks as I walked home. It annoyed me so much that I stopped walking near the shrine where Luna and the scouts held the meetings.  
  
But when I did that, Rei and Ami passed by my house to visit and my father always let them in. To keep them out, I locked my door and pretended not to hear them telling me about the monster they had defeated the other day. The third day, they climbed the tree leading to my open window before I got home one day and I screamed in surprise as I opened the door to find them laying on my bed and on the floor, reading magazines and listening to music, as if it were their house.  
  
There is only one way to stop this, I thought as I stood up.  
  
I walked towards Mamoru quietly. Today he was dressed like a high school senior, much to my surprise. I cleared my throat to get his attention, however, he was engrossed in a newspaper article headlined, "Computer hacker Strikes Again: Fall of Bank Guru."  
  
"Excuse me--"  
  
Mamoru looked up and my words got caught in my mouth. The way he looked at me seemed disturbing, like he could see right through me. I looked down. "Oh hi! How're you're doing?" he asked.  
  
"Actually, I'm not doing fine. I been meaning to ask you, about something, about my locket --you r emember, right? We bumped into each other the first time we met and you must have taken it accidently --I'm not accusing you of *stealing* it but I really , REALLY, need that locket so if you could just--"  
  
"--what locket?"  
  
I gazed back at his blank eyes. "Th-the locket, remember? It's sort of gold with a crescent moon on it. Pinkish looking. Remember?"  
  
"No, I don't remember, sorry. I just remember your black school bag."  
  
All hope of having a semi-normal life dissipated and it was all his fault. If he hadn't been there when I was running late for school, if he hadn't picked up the stupid locket, I would be home-free and no more scout business, no more Luna.  
  
"You-you bastard!" I yelled. " Do you know how my life has been since I lost that damn locket?!"  
  
Mamoru looked back at his newspaper and kept on reading. " I don't think that's any of my business."  
  
"Of course it is, you idiot. It's all your fault that I lost that cursed locket! It's--"  
  
"--Do you know that your hairdo looks like meatballs and spaghetti?"  
  
I blinked, my anger almost disappearing. "What?"  
  
"You won't mind if I call you meatball head, do you?"  
  
He had done it again. The sudden switch of subject confused my poor hotheaded brain and now he stood up, ready to leave, tucking his newspaper in his school bag, leaving a tip for Motoki to take.  
  
"My name is not meatball head it's--"  
  
"--Bye meatball head! See ya tomorrow!"  
  
Rei and Ami came in the same time that Mamoru left with cat Luna in Ami's arms. "There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"  
  
My life's a hell. There was no doubt. But maybe I didn't mind it so much. It was getting sort of......interesting.  
  
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	3. Through Mamoru's eyes

zizi's note: should I write a note in my la-la mood? ok, I will. um, this is mamo-chan's view of the 2nd chapter and his thoughts about how he perceives usagi. I don't know if I'll make more chapters like this but I thought it would clarify his intentions and his reasons for having the locket. I mean, confusing readers too long is a sin to a writer and I'm not that mean. Babbling should also be a sin so I stop now.  
  
DISCLAIMERS here....  
  
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ NVR ment 2 B mun Chapter 3: Through Mamoru's eyes PG 13  
  
I met him a long time ago at a kid's birthday party. My parents were getting a divorce and at six years of age, I wasn't a very happy child so I refused to go. I was forced into it anyways, having to face hundreds of little brats my age, running and screaming about in an infinite flow of energy, like all six year olds do. But I wasn't like them and neither was my older cousin, Diamond.  
  
We grew up together. Went to the same school together. Hanged out in the same places and poked fun at the same teachers. Even bullied around younger kids. It was fun. Being around him was fun. He was older than me.  
  
But even so, I should have known better.  
  
Diamond....well, Diamond was always a little screwy. He thought weird things, really. He confessed to me once that his real dream was to lead a life of infinite excitement like the interminable energy of six year olds, and to have power, to be his own boss. He started wearing fake diamonds too. Encrusted it onto all his belongings, like his backpack, cellphone, clothes. He's weird that way and his a good guy but he shouldn't have done it. Gotten into that gang business or whatever mess he got into. *I* shouldn't have gotten into that either. I always end up going along with his bizarre antics and crazy ideas but...  
  
He's killed his boss.  
  
He was a senior in high school. I was a freshman. And yet I was there for him like a faithful little brother would. I was there to clean up with him and watch him take his seat in power in that 'gang'. He offered me a piece of it, a piece of his beautiful 'cake', and unable to resist his offer, I took the smallest morsel only to taste. How did I know that it condemned me into a life without sleep? A life similar to his?  
  
Shortly afterwards, he inherited his parents' jewelry company after they had passed away in a mysterious accident and he expanded and built it, brought fresh ideas and made them real.  
  
Excitement, he said. What about the excitement?  
  
So he brings in illegal guns and store it in his warehouses. He uses his gang to sell them and keep his power in another world: the world of night. I've never seen the gang before, its real identity concealed from my 'innocent' eyes. I was worried about it but Diamond promised me that he got everything under control and I could trust him, as he trusts me. We're cousins for crying out loud. Blood related and everything, grew up like brothers.  
  
Now I laugh at that. I believed they would go away, his strange thoughts, I mean. I was wrong.  
  
Diamond's weird thoughts have only branched out, into a web of incomprehensible thoughts. He looks smooth and calm but he's paranoid, he tells me this. Someone's out to get him, always. Nowadays, another sticky thought formed in his head: there's a crystal, no, a huge diamond crystal as large as his fist, and if you look deep enough, you can see a city of silver buildings or a reflection of Earth. It's called the Imperial Crystal.  
  
It might not even exist, I said.  
  
Oh, but it does, he tells me. I see it in my dreams sometimes, the city of silver as beautiful as the full moon at night.  
  
I'm worried about him. I truly am. He's gone crazy and I didn't do anything to prevent it. I should have stopped it when I had the chance. I should have stopped him before he pulled the trigger that night in his boss's office and told him he was crazy and that he should stop all those weird ideas in his head and return to the Diamond I grew up with. I should have and I didn't.  
  
There's nothing I can do now though. I'm involved in this too, stuck in his web of intricate thoughts and secrets, consumed by his world of night where he is idolized as king, attending to all the little details Diamond cares to miss, obligated to stand by his side because I'm his faithful cousin, and the same blood runs through our veins. But sometimes I wonder if I could watch him off to the side and see him die slowly in a tangle of his own madness.  
  
*^*^*^*/  
  
I was skipping school for the third time this year. Had a meeting with Diamond at nine in the morning 'cause he said he had no other space in his busy schedule. It's been like this alot lately and I hadn't cared to ask why.  
  
Nervous at being seen by someone I knew, I slipped out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. To complete my dark look, I slicked my hair forward to cover my face, looked at the sidewalk to avoid eye contact, and tucked my hands deep into my pockets.  
  
The night before I had slept very little. A dream kept me awake, a beautiful dream, misted with fog and tiny stars, water replacing the firmness of the ground and a crystal as big as my fist floating in front of me. I knew it was Diamond's Imperial crystal the moment my fingers felt the smooth surface of the rock.  
  
Diamond's crazy, I thought. He's getting ideas in your head again.  
  
I bumped into someone, a girl actually with long blonde hair. I had been watching her for some distance, not intentionally, just observing how her contemplative face resembled my own life. Always torn between two sides. What's right and what's not right. What you want and what you must do. And of course, the battle of good and evil.  
  
I stood back up, dusting off my pants and made some dull comment of divided loyalties. She looked at me strangely and didn't answer so I turned on my heels and somehow, I said some other thing that I don't quite remember.  
  
Whatever. She wasn't much to look at anyway.  
  
I continued on my merry way, drifting through the crowd swiftly and even stopping to buy the newspaper. Some yelling behind me made me notice the same blonde haired girl struggling against the world in a big hurry, I suppose, running late to school. Trying to draw into my thoughts again, I ignored her.  
  
I opened the newspapers and looked at today's headlines "Mystery solved: Computer Attack from Unknown Hacker". Diamond said that today's headlines had something to do with what he wanted to discuss with me. That didn't make sense but Diamond never makes much sense anyway. Always talking in riddles, quoting famous dead people, and throwing out a phrase here and there that's completely irrelevant to the topic of discussion.  
  
I sighed. All of this was really taking out of studying for my entrance exams. If anything it would be nice to go to Tokyo University or even to America and study there a bit. Yeah, that would be nice. I'd go see the world after I'm done and be a doctor at a small hospital in some distant town. Meet the girl of my dreams there and maybe even have a family. Just thinking about it made me feel old and weary.  
  
Shouts were coming from behind again. Two or three people knocked down, a fruit basket tossed aside, a kid fell, more screams, more mess. That girl again.  
  
"I thought you had to better things to do," I said when she bumped into me. "Like going to school."  
  
I spotted a coffee shop right then, and I suddenly craved a nice warm cup of coffee.  
  
"Would you like a cup of coffee?" I asked, "Might need it so you won't fall asleep in class. Must have slept late, huh?"  
  
I really didn't care if she did or not, I mean, I didn't even know this girl. Just for courtesy sake, I got her one too and decided that sitting down for a bit wouldn't be such a bad idea and sitting down with company, especially a girl, was always a very good idea.  
  
The girl stared at me with that same contemplative face and a hint of confusion as if she had lost something. I wasn't going to ask; it wasn't my business and in ten minutes, I needed to go meet Diamond. Having to listen to a person's life story was out of the question.  
  
After five minutes, I persuaded the girl to sit down and take the cup of coffee. It was then that I noticed her eyes so clear and bright. Big and as round as the moon. They held so much within them, her life itself was told and I saw pain. Either way, they were beautiful, like the beauty of a--  
  
I shook my head.This girl was nothing but a school girl, scrawny and short,legs no better than a chair's, and a weird kiddish hairstyle: two pony tails with long hair that reached past her ankles. She had an angel face, that's for sure, and her eyes were captivating and a beauty to look at. Besides that, she was not much else to see.  
  
She didn't speak at all during the five minutes that we were there but she did have her mouth opening and closing like she had lost her voice and needed to tell me something. Nothing came out though.  
  
The town clock rung; my sign to leave. I got up, still watching this angel face with crystal eyes.  
  
"It was nice to see you again and wish to see you more often around here," I said, at first not aware that I had come inches from her lips. I must have kissed her then because I remember the smell of her perfume close to me and the sweet taste of coffee.  
  
It didn't matter. She was a school girl, probably still in junior high, and that kiss was maybe her first, throwing her into confusion and then anger but what did I care? I was no one to her and she was no one to me. She didn't even talk the entire time we were sitting there.  
  
I patted her head and ushered her away. It was strange that now, as I try to recall it, I could hardly remember anything I said or what she said to me and that if I did indeed kiss her, I didn't live any moment of it, only a vague sense of it. How, then, did I found my meeting with this stranger nothing out of the ordinary and why didn't I find my lapses in memory strange or how come I never noticed this thing in my pocket?  
  
Wait. This wasn't here before.  
  
I stopped a block away from the arcade pulling out a strange pink locket from the inside of my tuxedo jacket. It reminded me of something (even though I wasn't quite sure what) so I took a liking to it from the start tossing it up and down in the air. By the time I got to the arcade, the locket had become a part of me like my hackysack in my junior high years. I didn't wonder where it came from or how it sneaked its way into my pocket. It was just there. One way or another, I would remember where I found it from and what it meant eventually.  
  
Right at nine, Diamond came in, sat down and ordered coffee. Smiling, he leaned back into his chair and pulled out today's newspapers along with four others. "Read them all?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Good. How have you been doing?" he asked. "Is the savings for the car going pretty well? I hope I paid you enough to help out a bit. Slick car. Makes me wanna buy one too. You think I would be attack by monsters if I rode a car like that?"  
  
I nodded again, ignoring the starnge comment.  
  
"How's school? Actually studying for those exams?"  
  
"Yeah, well, I wanna get into med school--you know that--and I definitely don't wanna be a ronin* next year. Be a waste of my time."  
  
Diamond smiled again. "I can get you in with no problem. Even send you to America. How about it?"  
  
It annoyed me sometimes how Diamond wanted to get involved in my life. I told him stuff, but then he would try to act as a parent and pay everything for me, like a sort of obligation on his part. Today was no different.  
  
"You don't have to do that. I can take care of myself just fine."  
  
Diamond sipped his coffee, showing off his new diamonds embedded on his left sleeve. "If you say so. Remember when we used to hang out here? Ah, those days were golden. Too bad cameras watch you now. People always trying to get at you and crush you bit by bit. Strange, huh? I sorta do the same now."  
  
"Well, aren't you going to tell me?"  
  
"Ah, yeah, that." Diamond set the newspapers in front of me with another secretive smile. "You see this? I started up with a new branch in the Zlon business!"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
I heard a clatter behind me and saw a girl about Diamond's age, rise up."You WHAT?" the girl cried in anger. Another girl covered her face with a black school bag, cowering at the sight of the older girl. She sort of reminded me of the girl from this morning.  
  
"She's here," Diamond whispered to me. "That's the girl I've been talking about."  
  
Diamond liked confusing me before getting to the point so I remained silent as he called out the girl hiding behind the school bag.  
  
"Usagi, I didn't know you came here," Diamond said. "I thought you had school."  
  
Usagi, huh? A very likely name for her, yes.  
  
"Ah, well, school was out early..."  
  
Friends of hers walked in then, greeted her and introduce themselves to us. Diamond was enjoying himself however he seemed anxious at the same time. He excused us after a few minutes and we walked out with me tossing the locket into the air. Something must have bothered him about *something* but today wasn't a good day to ask. All that would come out of him is bits and phrases what he's thinking.  
  
"Well," Diamond said. "Like I was saying, that girl's my new secretary. Part time of course but you know how I need someone in at night. My business is an all-nighter too so I had to get extra help. She's pretty good actually. Better than Emerald. Don't tell her I told you that."  
  
I was beginning to despise Diamond's games but I listened carefully finally piecing the jigsaw puzzle of his thoughts.  
  
"Now, Zlon gets onto a more personal level with its competitors. Know how? Computers."  
  
"You mean--"  
  
"--Yeah, I mean that. I'm gonna need you around a lot more often. There's no one I trust more than you and I'll pay you, if that's what you want."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"For that crystal, of course. I heard it's here in Japan. Maybe even in Tokyo."  
  
"Diamond, what is the real reason for wanting that crystal? What importance does it have?"  
  
Diamond smiled again. He was in a pretty good mood today. "Because I want to see her, that's all. And maybe I can see the real moon and all of its wonders. I want something different from this life of mine."  
  
"But you have everything." "I don't want 'everything'. I want something more. Something this life can't give me."  
  
His limousine was around the corner, and he left. Most of the stuff he said didn't make sense and it was getting more difficult each day to understand what he meant. I didn't want to admit that I was worried or that there was something going on that I wasn't aware of. His life bothered me and I found that my own way of living bugged me too.  
  
Diamond, you're losing it, I thought. And somehow, I'm in this too.  
  
*^*^*^*^/  
  
ronin* a student preparing for entrance exams to get into the university of their choice in Japan. If the student fails, the following year after they graduate from school, they'll continue to be ronin until they finally pass the exam.  
  
that's it for now. Next chapter a surprise. Don't forget to review or sent emails at g_chakra21@yahoo.com.  
  
zizi. 


	4. My first 'B'

zizi's note: Enter Minako and Makoto. I thought it would be interesting to have

them in and see where it went. Just for the kicks. 

  


DISCLAIMER for sailor moon

  


*********back to Usagi's POV as originally intended.***********

  


"I hate when you say you don't understand....I need a place for my head...."

  


--Linkin Park--

  


"...who's gonna have your back when it's all done?"

  


--shaggy--

  


^*^*^*^*^*^*/

NVR ment 2 B mun/

by zizi luna/

Chapter 4: My first 'B'/

PG 13 *explicit language*/

  
  
  
  


"How could you?"

  


_Slamming doors, breaking glass._

_That couldn't be helped._

_Screaming voices, streaming tears._

_It was second nature._

  


"Don't you even love mom anymore? Don't you even care about what *we* think?"

  


_And again, it couldn't be helped._

  


"Excuse me, young lady, but this is my happiness we're talking about not yours!"

  


_Because my house was built that way._

  


"I'm gonna get another job, Sammy. Maybe we could move out."

  


"That's a silly idea. You got too much to do."

  


"I know but still..."

  


Sam and I sat in my room, darkness our closest friend, silence choking our whispers.

"You broke mom's favorite crystals."

  


"Which ones?"

  


"The ones that look like moons and stars."

  


_Whispers, always calm after the storm, always quiet._

_I couldn't help it. My voice shook so much._

  


"Are you still a super hero? Do you still fight bad guys at night?"

  


My locket was gone, my good side with it. Diamond offered money, Sam and I fed on it. 

We couldn't help it. Dad didn't make enough anymore.

  


"I can't be good anymore, Sam. Good doesn't pay and what doesn't pay, doesn't matter to us

right now. I shouldn't have told you in the first place. Luna will be so mad if she found

out."

  


"But good is always right."

  


"Yeah, I know. We'll figure something out eventually. Something that will make things right

again."

  


_Tear after tear, my life was blurred._

  


*^*^*^*^*^*/

  


"Almond topped butterscotch-cream flavored milkshake please."

  


Motoki smiled. "Always custom made for my favorite customer and just for today, it's on

the house."

  


I sipped on my milkshake gleefully as I marveled at my first "B" of the semester written

so beautifully on top of my exam.

  


"Seems like you're making improvement," Motoki said as he cleaned the counter tops. "Soon

enough you'll be making A's all the time."

  


"And so I will--I hope," I said.

  


My day, as pleasing and satisfactory as it was, wouldn't end that way, as I wished it to.

At that moment, a tall white blonde guy walked in, wide pale blue eyes searching the 

perimeter, and a shocking white suit loosely fitting his lanky appearance.

"Usagi!" He said happily. "I knew I would find you here."

  


"What do you want?" I asked, my happy mood turning sour at once.

"Well," he said slowly, sitting next to me in one graceful motion, "Luna's been wondering

where you put that locket of yours. We've found that princess and a possible candidate for

the fourth scout, so I gotta have it by today. She said you quit, is that right?"

  


"Yeah, so what?"

  


"We need that locket or else--"

  


"--or else what, Artemis? I never heard of no protector of good blackmailing anyone 

before."

  


Artemis pulled out his wallet and slapped down a wad of money next to my test score. 

"There, is that enough? Or do you want more?"

  


I looked at the money nonchalantly sipping on the dregs of my drink. Offering a price on

such a good day like this wasn't something to pass up, not even for me. Artemis must have

been my blessing from heaven at that moment. "Buy me an ice cream."

  


Artemis was silent for a moment, I guess speculating at my motives. "Okay. Is that all?"

  


"No, actually--" From his wallet, I took all of bills except for two and dumped out all 

his change onto the counter. "There. I think that's enough."

  


I moved away from the counter with all the money to the nearest Sailor V game there was 

and started on my Sailor V gaming obsession. Pow pow punch! Kick, stab, keeyah! This day

couldn't have been better. Losing brought no worries, money now was in the bag.

  


"Um, Usagi?"

  


"Now what?"

  


"Where's the locket?"

  


"I don't have it."

  


I could feel Artemis's everlasting patience wearing down. "The purpose of giving you the

money was so that you could give me the locket."

  


"Oh, really? I thought you were just happy I got a 'B' on my test and the money was to 

celebrate."

  


Something pricked the back of my neck, a smooth cool metal object and I froze instantly.

"I hate to do this but I really need this locket now. No more games, Usagi. If you're not

going to help us at least tell me where it is."

  


"Um, Artemis, you're not acting your usual self," I laughed nervously watching my Sailor V 

character die at the hands of the Black Hand. "It was an accident--" 

  


The cool object pressed more firmly against my neck and I nearly panicked wondering if 

the person was after all the nice and docile Artemis, the guy who never complained or ever

showed any signs of anger, the guy who believed there was a bit of good in everyone and 

believed I could be someone other than the slacker I was.

  


Then I saw him. He walked in with his casual appearance, high school uniform on, and school

bag in hand. He ordered his cup of coffee, sipped it with so much patience, and unfolded

his newspaper with so easily, so cool in his appearance.

  


Artemis's words did not reach me, the metal against my neck turned warm, and I watched 

Chiba Mamoru stand up a moment later, threatening to leave.

My day wasn't bad at all. A whole lot of good things happened in this mist of bad. This 

Chiba Mamoru would be my savior today and I wouldn't let him get away this time.

  


"There he is! That's him!" I shouted.

  


Confused, Artemis let his guard down giving me enough time to twist his arm back and push

him to the ground. 

  


"Hey you!"

  


Mamoru turned around, his cup of coffee in hand. I dashed towards him at full speed, 

Artemis close behind. So close, in fact, that as I tried to stop right in front of Mamoru,

Artemis rammed me into him and we all fell to the ground, the coffee flying past me and

onto Artemis's face.

  


I drew myself up, inches from Mamoru's face and now sitting on the ground.

  


"You-you have my locket!"

  


Suddenly, I felt anxious and somehow, vulnerable. Mamoru's cool expression reflected in 

his eyes and his composure was full at ease. It unnerved me.

  


"You were careless," he said finally. "That locket is not a toy, it's an irreplaceable 

treasure. You were never meant to have it."

  


His voice was understanding, hushed to a whisper but it was marked with disappointment;

something I didn't want to take anymore.

  


"But I need--"

  


"There's no excuse. I'll keep it from now on and I'll give it to the right person. Anyways,

it was mine to begin with."

  


In this moment, I finally noticed the position we were in: we were on the floor, Mamoru

partly sitting and me, hovering above him and my legs in between his, my face even closer

than before. 

  


"Hey, no making out the floor, please! We got little children watching, you know!" Motoki

yelled at us. 

  


I jumped up to my feet completely embarrassed but Mamoru didn't seem to notice or care what

he said. He only saw the other blonde tornado coming straight at him.

  


"Oh, Mamoru! Are you okay?" asked the blonde girl. " I saw *everything* and--Artemis? What

happened to your lovely suit? Coffee, you say? Oh my, this is terrible. Oh, I know it won't

come off so I'll buy you a new one. Mamoru, you sure are you okay? You seemed dazed all of

a sudden....." 

  


And on and on.....

  


....until she got to me. 

  


"Who're you? Oh, you're that girl Luna told me about. So where is it? You know what?, 

never mind that dumb thing, why don't you be my assistant? God knows I need another one. 

You can start right now and I'll fill you in. Here, this is my schedule."

  


The girl gave me a small pale yellow computer planner and a ink-free pen.

  


"This is my only hour free and can you believe my other assistant just ditched on me? Oh, I

know it's a terrible loss but you look like a lively young thing so it's okay, right? Okay,

at four, I have to meet with my agent--write that down--and at five, I have one hour to 

do homework. Then, I can memorize my movie script at six for the Sailor V movie and at

eight, I can memorize the new lines for that show--hey, I told you to write that down!!!"

  


I looked at her blankly as did Artemis and Mamoru.

  


"What?" she said reproachfully. "It's Monday, what do you except? Two hours of free-time 

or something? I'm on a roll."

  


I handed her the computer and the pen. "My name is Usagi, not 'that girl', and to let you

know, I'm no longer working for you guys--that is, Artemis and Luna--and I wouldn't be 

able to anyway, I'm just too busy nowadays."

  


The girl's giddy and happy face, the twinkling eyes shining so bright and wide, clouded 

into a blue so dark it was black as was her expression. She shoved the planner back at

me and preceded her lecture.

  


"If *I* can make time for this part time job, then *you* can make time too," she said.

"Now, since you don't have that thingie, or whatever Luna's talking about, then you're 

now my new assistant, no questions asked. Don't worry, I actually pay for my services and

a very good sum at that so no complaints! My life is hectic as it is and I don't want any

bullshit from anyone."

  


"Well, I obviously have a life besides you," I said. " I don't even know you and you're 

asking me to--"

  


I stopped as she lifted a thick wad of money in front of me. "If this is not enough, then

I can arrange that later on --that is, if you become my assistant."

  


I eyed her and the money, and back to her and the money again before I finally decided to 

snatch it away. "Well," I said timidly, "can I at least know your name?"

  


The girl laughed, her ill humor dissipating. "Oh, how rude of me. The name's Minako Aino,

Sailor V superstar!"

  


Minako did her 'V' for victory sign the same time, a girl in baggy pants and ponytail came

in. The girl had that gansta look to her and I somehow envisioned a tattoo here and there

concealed under her clothes. Upon seeing her, Minako's attention averted towards her 

and she went to talk to the girl immediately.

  


I looked around to find that Mamoru had somehow sneaked away during the conversation and

concluding that there was no reason for chasing him around on this beautiful day, I walked

merrily to the arcade games with a new stash of cash.

  


"You wait a second," Minako called out now with a silent Artemis at hand and the unhappy

gangsta girl in the other. "You're still working for me until eight (unless something comes

up) so I suggest you finish that game right now and go to the mall with me. We have exactly

twenty minutes to find ten perfect outfits for my guest here, Makoto, and transform her 

into a beauty queen. Oh yeah, and get Artemis a new suit. Chop chop!"

  


"And what's with the makeover?" I asked.

  


"The only way Makoto's working alongside with us, is if she's dressed up for it properly,"

Minako said. " And I stand by my theory that in order to look good, you must feel good."

  


"Isn't it 'in order to feel good, you must look good'?" I asked.

  


"Yeah, whatever."

  


Makoto pulled away from Minako's grasp. "You know what? This fucking bullshit is all 

screwed up. Not even for pay, man 'n I don't need no fancy clothes to get me all feeling

up. I'm fine with my shit."

  


Artemis cleared his throat. "Well, when it comes to Minako, it's not a matter of choice 

so I suggest you be refining on those words there. Until then, stay quiet."

"Don't be telling me what to do," Makoto shot back. "I'm not the one with coffee stains all

over my fucking face and *white* suit."

  


"Now, now there," Minako said before Artemis took on defense. "Let's be nice for today. Too

many things to do to be fighting like cats and dogs."

  


I'm here for the pay, I thought. It will be over soon.

  


True, Minako was the most superficial person on the planet and true, Makoto was quiet 

unless it was to make some vulgar comment, which in turn, made Artemis cringe at 

every word. And true to everything that made them strange and an unlikely crew parading 

down the mall in order to make over the tomboyish (and unwilling) Makoto. 

It was all strange but somehow I enjoyed their company. In some way or another, 

they could even be considered kind of cool.

  


But there was no way I could be their friend. I held too many secrets and knowing them 

would make my job so much harder.

  


*^*^*^*^*^*^*

  


I sat down on a bench in an empty park. It was dark. There was a new moon. Clouds concealed 

the stars. And I was alone. Waiting. I fiddled my fingers. I snuggled in my coat. Just

waiting. He would come soon. I just wait. Minutes, hours. 

  


Two figures appeared down the sidewalk. Two tall men: one with silver hair and diamond 

sleeves, the other dark hair and black shades.

  


"Nice to see you're here," Diamond said as he sat beside me. "I got something for you to 

do but it's a little harder than usual. You'll be an actress this time on the job. Isn't 

that wonderful? Sort of like that girl you look like. What's her name--Meera, Mina? Yeah, 

it's Minako. Come to think of it, you look like her twin."

  


I smiled and waited. It would be a while before he got to the point.

  


"Your name is Serena Shields. You're married to Darien Shields --which is, of course, a

close friend and my business manager." Diamond gestured towards the guy and I gasped as I 

found Mamoru standing in front of me. 

  


"Him?!" 

  


I broke my vow of silence standing up in a sudden rage and destroying the silence of a dark

night under a new moon.

  


Diamond just blinked, motioning me to sit back down. "More is to be told and it's only told

to have it done right and truthfully. Many nights will come when I'll need the young 

Shields couple --all for the sake of business."

  
  


Yeah, and I'm in it too.

  


^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

  


I guess that's a cliffhanger and I guess you have to wait a looooong while before the next

chapter comes up. Got lucky school's still not all that hard yet but don't expect miracles

though. Gonna be working on other fiction (FFX) so yeah. 

  


gotta luv me,

zizi luna

  



	5. mall express

NVR ment 2 B mun

by zizi luna

PG-13

  
  
  


[author note] this chapter has a different tone than the others. Previous chapters tended to be more depressing and showed the darker side of usagi but in this one (like several I hope to write in the future) the tone is more upbeat and shows a glimpse of a life without diamond in it.

  
  


*****************

Chapter 5: Mall express...

  
  


The bell rings.

  


I took my books and headed out where Mamoru was waiting opposite the spot where Diamond always waited for me at.

  


"Hey," he said. "Thought you might want to go the mall."

  


I looked around wondering if Rei, Ami, Makoto or Minako might show up somewhere. We usually walked home together but the chances of Makoto showing up were slim. She had a tendency to disappear for several days and come to school with a new set of bruises and scratches running all along her body. Luna told me she kept a watch on her and so did Artemis but to no avail. Vanishing into the shadows wasn't a new skill for Makoto.

  


"I don't know...."

  


"Don't worry about your friends," Mamoru said. "I already told them to go on ahead without you."

  


My first reaction would have been to complain and walk off from this weirdo person but then I backtracked. Mamoru was what people can call "co-worker" and it wasn't a matter whether I liked him or not. It was whether I can get the job done with or without unnecessary problems. 

  


I sighed. Might as well do what he wants and then get him to pay for my ice cream.

  


"Okay, I'll go."

  


*^*^*^*^

  


"Ooooh," I said. "An arcade, bigger than the Crown Arcade. Let's go in!"

  


Mamoru was off looking at some laptops through the shop window. "You go on ahead. I'll-"

  


"-oh, you're no fun! Come on, the new virtual Sailor V game is out with cool 3D special effects that make attack combos feel like the real thing! And did you know that all-"

  


"-okay, okay, I'm coming," Mamoru said tucking his hands into his pockets. "So what's with this game obsession anyway?"

  


"It's not an obsession," I retorted, "and if you wanna find out what's the craze is about then play it yourself."

  


Mamoru didn't look too convinced but after watching me play and lose for the fifteenth time, he decided to join in on the virtual world as the 'Kamen Warrior', a new ally in the Sailor V manga series and the secret crush of Sailor V herself.

  


It was only then, that Mamoru decided to let loose the big grown up facade. We played all kinds of games (his treat, of course).

  


"Ha," I said loudly, hands on my hips. " I am and always will be the *ultimate* dancing maniac."

  


Mamoru smiled in his mysterious and knowing manner. "That was just a warm up. It's my turn to pick a song." 

  


Game after game on the dance machine we tied until hours had passed and a crowd huddled to see our nonstop performance. Beads of sweat rolled down my face and the people all around us hogged up all the air but I wasn't about to let up. I would win. *I* was the ultimate dancer.

  


Then, I slipped. The tragic moment in which all my dreams of becoming the queen of the ultimate stamina test of strength perished. Everything slowed down as I saw the screen flashed red and I fell into Mamoru and we both toppled to the ground. The screen blacked out and flashed 'Failure' across the screen.

  


"No!" I screamed. "It's not fair!"

  


The crowd began to disperse disappointed, I imagine, to see us lose in such a pathetic way. I was disappointed too but Mamoru just laughed.

  


"It's just a game," he said. "Come on, let's do something else."

  


I blinked as he helped me up to my feet. This was the first time I had seen him laugh let alone smile now that I noticed. It was kind of nice.

  


As we walked out the arcade, I bumped into a blue-haired girl with a huge purse.

  


"Ah, Usagi!" Ami said. "What are *you* doing here?" 

  


"Just playing the new Sailor V game," I said.

  


"And who's this-" Ami stopped as she looked at Mamoru. "It's *you*!"

  


Mamoru looked confused but just smiled. "Yeah, I'm me."

  


Ami suddenly jumped and took his hand. "You don't know how much it honors me to meet y-you, *Chiba-sensei*. T-that time when you gave that *marvelous* speech about world hunger really *moved* me. The truth of your words really *called* to me. It's what inspired me to seek a medical profession..."

  


Mamoru finally understood but it didn't make him look any more comfortable than he was before. Ami moved closer and closer with every word until she was only inches from his face. Then the bag she carried crunched against Mamoru's belly.

  


"Oh, I'm so sorry," Ami said pulling away from Mamoru's personal space bubble. "It's just such an *honor* to stand in front of the valedictorian of his class. Ah well, I must take my leave but here's my phone number so we can talk sometime about our future and entrance exams. We can even be study buddies since, after all, I'm taking most of your classes anyway. Wouldn't that be *great*?"

  


Mamoru nodded but moved further from Ami so that now we bumped shoulders

  


"Usagi, you should stay clear from the 'East side' of the mall if I were you," Ami said.

"Minako's looking for you."

  


"I'll keep that in mind," I said, recalling all the times in which Minako made me file every single paper she owned, down to movie contracts and credit card bills. Let's say I didn't sleep at all that night.

  


Ami opened her bag and revealed her treasure. "Fortune cookies!" she said. "When in doubt, Ami's special Mercurian fortune cookies do the trick. Here, have one."

  


"They're blue," Mamoru said as he inspected one.

  


"They're have white polka dots," I said.

  


"Ah, come on, give it a try," Ami said. "They're really good."

  


She closed her bag and waved good bye. After she was well away from earshot, Mamoru said, "I'm guessing all your friends are just about as crazy as her and Minako."

  


I thought for a second. "Just about."

  


*^*^*^*

  


"You haven't told me why we're here," I said.

  


"Well, Diamond..."

  


I sighed. It always boiled down to Diamond. Diamond this, Diamond that. Diamond wants me to go here, wants me to say this, wants me to look for the other. why couldn't Mamoru have kept Diamond's name out and leave it at one spontaneous day at the mall? Why couldn't-

  


I stopped myself. I was the same way. If I wasn't saying it out loud, it was in my thoughts. I'm going to the mall to avoid a conflicting relationship with my co-worker, I had thought. It was only business-like to spend time with him just like Diamond would like me to do.

  


"....a dress, you see?"

  


"What was that again?" I asked.

  


"You need a dress for Friday night's ball room party," Mamoru said. "I thought it might be a good idea if we both searched for something nice together."

  


"But I have lots of nice dresses at home," I retorted, knowing that I only had an ice cream cone's worth of money in my school uniform pocket. 

  


"I know but you need something more-"

  


"-Something more what? You haven't been into my closet or have you?," I pointed out, much to the apparent discomfort of Mamoru. Several people turned heads.

  


"But don't you wanna buy new clothes?" Mamoru asked.

  


The ice cream stand was only meters away and the smell of the food wafting from the food court was making my stomach so hungry....

  


"You're saying that I don't dress good enough for you, huh?"

  


More heads turned but Mamoru ignored them. "It's not-"

  


"I see how it is with you," I said, louder than before. "That's why you didn't wanna buy me ice cream."

  


Mamoru blinked and then smiled. With his arm now wrapped around my shoulders, we headed down to the ice cream stand and I got my napoleon three-scoop ice cream topped with real strawberries, whipped cream, mangos, and pineapples.

  


"Now will you come with me?" Mamoru asked.

  


"Why not?" I asked. "Ice cream is good enough for me."

  


************

wow. that. took. me. so. long....

sorry, the real world takes an awful lot of my time. 

promise next chapter will be next week.

R&r

[note]~

'Kamen warrior' is made up and so is Ami's fortune cookie craze. Fortune cookies are good for your soul :)

  


luv, 

zizi.


	6. exposed

NVR ment 2 B mun

by zizi luna

PG-13

  
  


Chapter 6: Exposed

  
  


***

Ami special Mercurian Fortune cookie says:

  


"Your soulmate shall enter your life when you least expect it to. Your love for this person will lead you into a road of self discovery and enlightenment. Beware of objects capable of 

destruction and dark places, especially alleys or parks at night. 

  


"Lucky numbers: 3 13 10 24 45"

***

  


We're walking into a mouse trap, I thought as we arrived into the ballroom. 

  


The people, they were everywhere. Like an unusual picture painted disorderly and frantically, the people danced, drank, and laughed. Diamond was the only person that looked whole and calm, his composure so cool.

  


"You know Diamond's my cousin?" Mamoru asked or more like stated. "But he's been acting stranger than usual -if you know what I mean."

  


No, I didn't, I thought. Nothing disrupted his gentleman's grace, nothing unusual or out of sync.

  


"That's why we're having a change of plans," Mamoru said. "Only minor things though. Nothing to worry about, really."

  


That last statement disturbed me. What did he mean 'change of plans'? Not following orders? That's like playing with the devil himself. Diamond would kill us for sure.

  


But somehow I trusted him. It must have been the way he smiled, the way he held my hand and twirled me about in a story of wonder. I never knew a guy I despised so could make my life more complicated than it was and yet make it worth living. 

  


As we danced, he decided to tell me a story about the history of the family who owned the mansion, the Rinoa family.

  


The Rinoa family owned a large successful oil corporation in America. As of late, the Rinoa oil corporation expanded to include several banks in Japan, America, and England. The name is very well known in the Western world but lack the same influence in Asia. Then, Mrs. Rinoa, the head of the family business, wasn't satisfied with just an oil company and banks either. She wanted more, like, for example, Diamond's jewelry company and two or three smaller jewelry companies to the side to add to the collection of profit. When Diamond heard about it, he was infuriated. His precious work would not be bought out by some American-wannabe family.

  


So that's where we come in. In this case, we were to implant a spycam in the surveillance room and download their entire computer hardrive into a memory stick.

  


He twirled me around, once, twice and holding both my hands, he led me into the simple footwork of a ballroom waltz. Again, I felt his gaze on me and his smiles without having to look up. As soon as I caught the look on his eyes, the world was ours and ours alone. Time slowed down until the moment came when our lips met into the sweet taste of white wine. Minutes passed by with his soft hands caressing my face, running through my hair and down my back, his lips never left mine. It was a bliss so inexplicable that I find no words to describe the feelings I felt and which surpassed the strange pleasure from my first kiss shared with Mamoru. 

  


"Mamo-" I started saying when he cut me short with another kiss.

  


When it ended, I saw Diamond lift his wine glass in acknowledgement to us. It's our show now. We would be centerstage.

  


"My love," Mamoru boasted loudly. "I must say that your beauty is quite unsurpassable."

  


Mamoru ended his embrace with a sweet kiss to my left hand which he delicately held in his own. I caressed his hand in return.

  


"Thus I must acclaim this to the world," Mamoru said as he rushed up to the orchestra. "All must know my love for you and how just being with you inspires life itself."

  


A crowd had gathered around us and the guards at the far left seemed to be watching us as well. Diamond smiled approvingly.

  


"But, my dearest love," I said. "I know this without you shouting out to the world that your passion for me is greater than the earth itself."

  


"I know that but even so, my little star,the strongest of love needs reassurance and I shall bestow to you such," Mamoru said before he halted the orchestra's performance. "Here in this hand I hold a gift for you that shall mark an eternal bond if you shall accept."

  


Mamoru jumped from the stage and knelt before me. Everyone gasped and seemed enthrilled to see Mamoru's confession of love. "My star, my beloved flower, will you marry me?" More gasps, more surprises.

  


It's just an act, I thought to myself. Make it as real as possible to these people. Make it-

  


Who was I kidding? My heart pounded so loud in my ears and my hands had turned into ice. It felt real to *me* more than anything else. His eyes, his gaze, his whole being burned into my mind until I felt daze and lightheaded. Call it deja vu, call it love at first sight, call it what you will but I felt *love*. It must have been.

  


"Yes," I whispered. "Yes, yes, yes!"

  


I jumped into his arms and showered kisses all over his lovely face. The crowd applauded a bit and I knew every eye was on us now. Joy all around us, happy faces nodding in approval. This was my heaven, my perfect love story and yet none of it was real. All of it was for business, all of it was for Diamond.

  


Tears stung. I hated the stranger I embraced, the crowd who watched me, at what I'd become. I had become a product of a play,a tool against my own beliefs, and stolen from my own dreams. I was Diamond's puppet in his plot of revenge and hopes of another life meant nothing. It would always come back to him.

  


"Usagi...."

  


"Don't let me go," I whispered as I buried my face into his tuxedo. "Let's stay like this forever."

  


"The play is over, we have to go," Mamoru said. "That's the change in plan."

  


No bugging computer networks, or security cameras this time, eh? It was only the theatrical act that he wanted, huh? 

  


After a minute or so, I quieted down and we were able to leave the mansion in Mamoru's car. Ten minutes of driving in silence, a mansion in the distance blew up.

  


***

My room's dark, foreboding. The moonlight filters in, the curtains sway in it. Cold seeps through the open window, the silence of the trees are heard. COmplete solidarity. Just me, the moon and the stars, all of us draped in the cloak of night. Beautiful. 

  


I stretched my arms and proceed to take off my heels. As I reached for my second shoe, a thin cool blade point pricked my throat.

  


"Luna..." I whispered, surprised to meet her angry eyes behind the blade. I looked down and noticed her luggage piled down at the bottom of my open closet.

  


"Artemis couldn't do it but I can," Luna said. "He has too big of a heart but I, I'm different, you see?"

  


"What's going on?" I gasped.

  


"Stop with your games, Usagi," Luna said. "I can see right through that; I can see the scum that you are. No wonder the locket has been lost for so long. You *want* it to be lost."

  


"Luna, I don't-"

  


"Silence! I should be the only one talking," Luna scouted the room until her eyes rested on one piece of clothing. She picked up the outfit and dangled it in front of me. "Spying. How very convenient for the enemy to have a spy."

  


Exposed. I was finally exposed

  


***********

A/N:

as promised, here's the chap. school's a big pain in the a** so I won't be writing another one in a while but hey, what can i do? i'll try not to rush through it too bad. 

  
  


luv,

zizi


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